Seeing the whole: systems that only focus on a segment of your operation can’t deliver top quartile results

Lifting performance and productivity in a mining operation is no small task. Mines are complex, and require an extremely high level of planning, scheduling, coordination and reporting if they’re to run as well as possible.

Across all industries, software companies are promising to transform efficiency levels and boost profits. In mining, the sheer scale of operations can make the task of finding smart, resilient and effective solutions daunting to say the least. Added to this, most mines are already dealing with legacy systems that are failing or limping along with unsatisfactory results.

Investment in technology that delivers results is crucial if mines are to compete and remain profitable – the good news is that technological advances are giving us unprecedented opportunities to improve operations. But not all solutions are created equal.

Consider all the moving parts and processes in a mining operation… production, maintenance of equipment, projects, geology, survey, rehab, safety and hazard management and reporting and analysis. And then there are people too: planners, schedulers, coordinators, control room personnel, site supervisors, operators and tradespeople.

This diagram is an attempt to capture this complexity and the lack of connection between the various solutions available today.

Any mining software that hopes to significantly improve the coordination and performance of a mining operation needs to consider all of these parts of the process and make it easier for the people on site to see reality, make plans and execute on them.

While many mining software suites perform well in their specific areas of influence (such as operational planning, maintenance, reporting, fleet management, safety monitoring, or analytics) there are no software or technology firms that can provide an end to end solution that connects mine plans to all the work performed to deliver the plan at the frontline.

So what’s the best approach? Should you pay a software developer or outsourcer to build customised software that works around your mine’s current systems? Or start from scratch with an integrated provider of planning software? Or would a MOS consulting firm do a better job of streamlining the management of your mining operation?

Recent examples have sought to “mash up” a number of the “point solutions” into an integrated whole, kindly assisted by “smartest people in the room” consultants. These “technology / innovation projects” have really struggled to deliver tools that the guys at the frontline actually use, the way they were intended to. Basically, because it’s really hard to get busy software companies to adapt and integrate their solutions to meet this need, change management can be forgotten and at the same time technology and innovation projects seldom have the hard-operational edge they need to deliver results for the site. These issues lead to poor adoption and mean that the expected benefits aren’t delivered.

So, it pays to avoid these kinds of mistakes, but how?

Anapproach that is paying handsome dividends for those that have invested in it is to ensure that everyone on site has a well-coordinated and easy to understand plan each shift, that this shift plan is visible to everyone (so that they are all on the same page) and that actual results and shift reports can be fed into it to facilitate the plan, do, check, act improvement cycle. This approach is making it possible for mine sites to (for the first time) do effective integrated planning and short interval control. This has resulted in massive improvements in the coordination of work on site, reduces waste and delivers upward of 40% improvements in production or development results.

From monthly scheduling of personnel and resources all the way through to the most granular task-based details of a single shift, our mining software allows management to see their operations clearly and make better decisions, whilst empowering frontline teams to get the job done more efficiently and safely.

We have delivered massive production and safety improvements for some of the world’s largest mining companies. Our easy-to-use, complete solution has:

helped large miners and small contractors to deliver 25 to 50 percent improvements in performance less than three months after implementation on site.

And, enabled many mines to sustain their results for over four years, through successive management teams and ownership.

Want to hear more about how we’re making mines work better? Get in touch.

Delegates from Commit Works will be jetting off to the United States later this month to The Future of Mining Americas conference in Denver, Colorado on 29 and 30 October.

Commit Works’ Director of Global Operations, Terry Henrikson, and Marketing and Communications Manager Emelia Chalker will attend the event, which brings together hundreds of mining professionals from all over the globe.

Last year, our CEO Paul Moynagh spoke at The Future of Mining Australia. At this follow-up event, Terry Henrikson will address attendees on “Creating Trust, Commitment and Sustainable Operational and Safety Results”.

The Future of Mining Americas will connect C-suite, heads and managers of mine operations, METS and support services from top enterprises worldwide to debate and define the current and future mining landscape across the Americas. Presented and curated by Mining Magazine and Mining Journal, the conference includes expert speakers with diverse strategic and operational experience, from project level through to the boardroom.

Our Commit Works team looks forward to learning from other leaders in mining, as well as sharing our insights and success driving improvements in operational performance, communication and safety.

/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/58923466_s.jpg565847camilo.vargas/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CommitWorks_Logo_May17_FINAL_RGB.svgcamilo.vargas2018-10-19 05:35:232018-10-19 05:42:57Commit Works takes off for Future of Mining Americas

Traditionally, a great deal of effort and expense has been focused on large enterprise systems (including enterprise resource planning (ERP), human resources, safety, time and attendance, asset management systems, and others).

Though they’re often clunky, many of these traditional systems are very useful at management levels, to ensure the right checks are in place so that processes are followed, and costs are understood for annual, quarterly and monthly reporting by office-based staff.

Unfortunately, many old-style systems are not very useful for an important segment of the working population: the people who work on a shift-by-shift basis. Instead, shift-based work in many industries is managed using a combination of spreadsheets, whiteboards and paperwork – systems that are unwieldy and poorly integrated.

But the time has come – and the technology is now available – to rethink outmoded approaches to managing shift based work.

Closing the gap

Commit Works’ Fewzion product closes the gap between traditional enterprise systems and the shift-based workforce. It is the “last mile” technology that pulls together all of the critical information required to plan, execute, review and follow up on the tasks across a shift, and presents it in a single, comprehensive view.

The old way of managing shifts struggles to cope with variations such as the availability of equipment and people, or linking safety alerts to planned tasks. Fewzion mine management system provides a solution that connects to key enterprise systems to ensure that plans reflect who and what is required and available to complete shift tasks, and include visibility of safety tasks or issues.

The result?

Pre-shift meetings become more collaborative and engaging because shift teams have the ability to influence the plan in a constructive way and, constraints and issues are visible up front.

Post-shift reviews become far more meaningful because all teams can review Fewzion reports and these reports provide a complete view of what was achieved, what wasn’t achieved, and why there were variances.

Digital transformation

Companies can also choose to implement the Short Interval Control app that allows staff to view and update tasks in real time. This can be used as both a productivity improvement and for short interval control, allowing supervisors and managers to see if tasks were done in the expected timeframe and what constraints there may have been. The mobile app allows people to add notes, pictures and documents to the tasks that they are working on.

/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39590383_s.jpg565848camilo.vargas/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CommitWorks_Logo_May17_FINAL_RGB.svgcamilo.vargas2018-09-06 04:53:042018-09-06 04:55:42The integrated mine management system that’s making CIOs sit up and take notice

Leading mining technology company Commit Works announced today that it has appointed John Ansley as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Joining Commit Works is a natural progression for Ansley, who has a deep understanding of the information technology (IT) landscape and a background in chief information officer (CIO) roles across the mining, logistics and pharmaceuticals industries in Australia, the United States, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe and South Africa. As Commit Works COO, he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work at the leading edge of tech for the mining industry and beyond, as Commit Works pioneers a new standard in frontline planning, short interval control and site visualisation.

“Commit Works products solve the ‘last mile’ of technology, from enterprise systems right down to the tasks within a shift,” Ansley said. “Unlike many IT solutions, Commit Works has a fast return on investment, with a clear and measurable impact on key elements for companies – such as employee engagement, improved planning, and increases in productivity and safety.”

“The Commit Works team is also 100 percent focused on the success of its customers, which makes it a company I’m keen to work with.”

He joins Commit Works at an exciting time, as the company expands in the wake of a strategic investment from Jolimont Global Mining Systems (Jolimont), which will accelerate its growth in Australia and internationally. “The appointment of John Ansley strengthens the Commit Works team in line with Jolimont’s commitment to the growth of the company. Having a world class team enables acceleration of the application of the world leading Commit Works technology, which benefits the industry.” said Lyle Bruce, partner at Jolimont and newly appointed Commit Works board member.

Andy Greig, Commit Works board member (the former President of Bechtel’s Mining & Metals Global Business and founder of Brisbane startup incubator, ACAC Innovation) said, “I am delighted John has joined the team. He is a talented executive with a great experience mix for his new role. He and CEO Paul Moynagh will complement each other very well.”

Commit Works CEO Paul Moynagh said that John would be an important asset for the team: “The breadth of his understanding and expertise will strengthen our business as we continue to develop our products and our reach.”

About Commit Works

Commit Works believes that successful organisations are built by people who make commitments to each other and deliver on them. Doing this consistently improves productivity, builds trust and helps frontline teams to out-plan uncertainty.

Its first product, Fewzion, was developed in collaboration with Anglo American to replace the cluster of whiteboards and spreadsheets traditionally used to prepare shift plans on site. A mobile app allowing real-time tracking of shifts connects to Fewzion, so that progress is regularly measured against plans.

Commit Works again worked with Anglo American to develop their Visual Ops product, which improves site safety and productivity. Visual Ops displays the near-real-time location of hazards, people and equipment on an operation. It is integrated with Fewzion as a holistic, easy-to-use solution for frontline teams, instantly synchronising information across devices, so that teams are always on the same page.

Commit Works is a step closer to revolutionising mining operations worldwide, having secured a strategic investment from Jolimont Global Mining Systems (Jolimont), which will accelerate its growth in Australia and internationally.

Today the company announced it had secured funding from Jolimont Capital, a private equity group funded by Resource Capital Fund (RCF) that invests in high-growth mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies.

Commit Works CEO Paul Moynagh said the investment would enable Commit Works to expand their global reach. “We are thrilled to receive this significant backing from Jolimont, the world’s best mining technology venture capital fund ­- it will greatly accelerate our growth in Australia, the Americas, Europe and Africa. Our products reliably deliver rapid and significant improvements to operations (in many cases more than 30% increase in production results) – we look forward to sharing our software and these kinds of results globally,” Mr Moynagh said.

“At Commit Works we make software that gets everyone on site working together and pulling in the same direction. Fewzion creates a fully integrated frontline shift plan by bringing together mine planning, maintenance, services and ERP data to ensure all work on site is properly coordinated. Shift plans are instantly available to frontline teams through our app and large touchscreens to ensure everyone is on the same page. Supervisors and crew can perform short interval control throughout the shift, write their shift reports and contribute to daily review meetings all in the same system. This kind of integrated thinking and coordination has helped many mining operations quickly produce large, sustainable production and safety improvements,” Mr Moynagh said.

Commit Works welcomes Lyle Bruce, partner at Jolimont and former Managing Director at GroundProbe, to its board, where he’ll join fellow investor Andy Greig, former president of Mining & Metals Global Business at Bechtel. Mr Bruce said Jolimont invests in high growth mining technology companies. “A focus for us is innovative technology and a customer-oriented team,” Mr Bruce said. “Australia leads the world in mining innovation and Commit Works is another example of an emerging Australian company bringing world’s best technology to global mining operations. Jolimont is proud to support the Commit Works team.”

Michael Sterry, Investment Manager at Jolimont, said precise shift planning was a gap in the market that Commit Works addresses. “The people that make a difference to productivity and safety are closest to operations and production. They want to know how they are performing shift-by-shift. You can’t get closer than real-time performance tracking at the coalface,” he said.

Great news for the METS sector

As Australian METS businesses began emerging from the recent downturn, experts agreed that three key ideas were vital to mining’s future: collaboration, innovation and technology.

Collaboration refers to better cooperation in the workforce to improve efficiency and safety, as well as collaboration across and outside the sector, with the resources industry building relationships with software developers, technical specialists, strategic thinkers and others.

Innovation was a necessity during the downturn as businesses fought to survive, and now it’s entrenched in the status quo. The world is changing fast, driven by rapid technological advances and volatile markets; “innovation” is the shorthand for all of the ways in which companies can stay relevant and competitive.

Commit Works is operating at the nexus of these priorities, delivering software solutions that grow with the industry and facilitate better collaboration on mining operations. Jolimont’s investment in these solutions represents a win not only for Commit Works but for the future of the METS sector.

About Commit Works

Commit Works believes that successful organisations are built by people who make commitments to each other and deliver on them. Doing this consistently improves productivity, builds trust and helps frontline teams to out-plan uncertainty.

Its first product, Fewzion, was developed in collaboration with Anglo American to replace the cluster of whiteboards and spreadsheets traditionally used to prepare shift plans on site. A mobile app allowing real-time tracking of shifts connects to Fewzion, so that progress is regularly measured against plans.

Commit Works again worked with Anglo American to develop their Visual Ops product, which improves site safety and productivity. Visual Ops displays the near-real-time location of hazards, people and equipment on an operation. It is integrated with Fewzion as a holistic, easy-to-use solution for frontline teams, instantly synchronising information across devices, so that teams are always on the same page.

About Jolimont Global Mining Systems

Jolimont invests in high growth mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies. The METS sector presents outstanding investment opportunities, magnified in an environment of volatile commodity prices and historically high operating costs. Mining companies rely increasingly on METS companies to provide incremental as well as step-change solutions to improve productivity and lower costs.

Jolimont has a highly experienced senior executive team with extensive commercial experience in mining, technology, private equity and finance. Jolimont Global is a joint venture between Jolimont Capital, a technology investor founded in 2003 and Resource Capital Funds.

/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Paul-Moynagh.jpg16062055camilo.vargas/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CommitWorks_Logo_May17_FINAL_RGB.svgcamilo.vargas2018-08-03 04:03:142018-09-04 04:14:03Commit Works expanding global footprint with major investment from Jolimont and Resource Capital Fund.

Mobile technology is ubiquitous today. Seventy-six per cent of Canadian adults owned a smartphone in 2016, according to Statistics Canada, and 54 per cent owned a tablet or e-reader. The numbers are virtually identical in the United States. It is no surprise, then, that mobile devices are changing how people work, even in industries as conservative – and as operationally challenging – as mining.

A handful of companies have begun taking advantage of the new technology space. The mobile applications they offer vary in focus, but each aims to help miners get better visibility, make better decisions and improve the efficiency and productivity of their operations – all at prices far below traditional enterprise-level software. That fact promises to help level the technological playing field between large and small operators.

If you know where you are…

Takor Group is an Australian geospatial technology startup. Their primary product, Mappt, is a low-cost, offline-capable mobile geographic information system (GIS) application. Users record data and photos against geographic locations, such as the position of a drillhole, using configurable forms. “It can pop up questions one by one, and as they’re answered, it jumps to the next question,” said Takor product manager Ciarán Doyle. “In the background, it’s saving all that information against that location.” Users can create geofenced inclusion or exclusion zones, defining them either ahead of time or by walking or driving the perimeter. “The app addresses quite a few of the pain points that field collectors were feeling,” said Doyle.

“The massive time savings” of collecting data digitally, rather than manually with a physical map and pen and paper, is a major selling point, said Doyle, brand and strategy at Takor, as is having all the tools you need in one device. And, he said, “The quality of data has shot through the roof.”

It is also a fit-for-purpose solution, like many of the apps available for mining. “One of the reasons that Mappt came about was due to the frustration of using ArcGIS and their mobile application,” said Doyle. “It’s quite extensive and extremely hard to use and to set up. You couldn’t just go out in the field with a professional tool without spending thousands of dollars, and there’s a massive process involved.” With Mappt, he said, a user can go straight from purchasing the product to being in the field in “literally minutes.”

Mappt, a mobile GIS app by the tech startup Takor, was designed to be low-cost and user friendly. Courtesy of Takor Group

Chris Devlin, director at iSpatial Solutions, a GIS consultancy which acts as “effectively, the in-house GIS department” for a number of small mining companies, often recommends Mappt to clients. “They like it not only for the functionality and the ease of use but also for the licensing model,” he said. “It’s simple and cost-effective.”

…you can plan where you’re going

MST Global’s Field Analysis & Reporting Application (FARA) uses Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and a mobile app to provide fleet and personnel management to underground and open-pit operations. Sean Dessureault, now chief innovation evangelist at MST, developed FARA at his company, MISOM Technologies, before selling MISOM to MST in late 2017.

“Our tablet for fleet management can be installed in a machine in a few minutes,” Dessureault said, and even temporarily in contractor vehicles. The tablets determine their position using GPS or by sensing small, $30 Bluetooth beacons that can be placed around the site – even underground. That location information can be used by the application to automatically track cycles, sequences and even delays and can be leveraged to prompt users for input using location-based triggers. Operators also use the app to fill in digitized forms for things like hazard assessments and pre-operational checklists. Tablet-to-tablet communication means that a supervisor can approach a vehicle and view the forms the driver has filled out, even without Wi-Fi or LTE infrastructure.

“From the operator feedback, they like the digital forms the best. It saves time, and they find the information more engaging,” said Dessureault – especially when the feedback is gamified, as FARA can be configured to be. Employees earn points on a leaderboard for the number of cycles they complete or for providing a good safety share, for example. Shift changes can be improved by rewarding operators for getting on their machine before a certain time. Before, Dessureault said, “even if you did write an excellent safety share during your take-five, nobody would ever really know. Miners love having that feedback. They love to compete.”

The sudden availability of inexpensive apps and consumer-grade electronic devices has spurred some operators to adopt systems like this for the first time. “Some of our installs were in places that have never had fleet management before,” said Dessureault, “so productivity increased significantly.”

Put down the clipboard

For other operators, however, mobile technology may augment existing information management systems and make a technician’s job easier.

Canary Systems’ MLWeb is one such data management system. It aggregates and correlates data from various third-party instrumentation and sensors, data loggers, radars and satellites to provide risk management for projects in numerous industries, including mining, construction and dams. The mobile portion of Canary’s software suite is the data collection tool MLField.

“MLField has been designed to support users in cases where they don’t have automated instrumentation,” said Martin van Balkom, marketing manager at Canary Systems. “A technician would like to go into the field and, for example, go to a piezometer and take a manual reading.”

“There are still cases where people take the readings manually” with pen and paper, added Andrei Pascu, Canary’s Canadian group manager. “Going back to the office, those readings are transcribed into the system or into Excel.” Using the app to collect data, he said, is both faster and more reliable – previous readings are shown, helping catch entry errors, and the tablet automatically syncs to the project database once online again, eliminating transcription errors.

“One of the advantages of tying this all together is the speed with which you can now manage the risk of this operation,” said van Balkom. “We have a dam client in the U.S. where their data collection in the field, from the time it was collected until the engineer saw it, took about 2 months. That’s basically historical data at that point.” Even engineers used to getting instrumentation readings 12 to 24 hours after collection could benefit from the increased visibility that digital methods enable.

BME, a South Africa-based blasting company, offers XploLog, which like MLField, is primarily for collecting data in the field. XploLog’s data syncs back to BME’s blasting design database, BlastMap.

“As the users are logging into the XploLog system the actual loading and timing of what’s going on in the field, that information is being sent directly back to the office, so the people in the office are aware of any problem,” said BME managing director Joe Keenan. “They might get an alert saying three holes have collapsed, so they can talk about the best workaround. Or they can just log it into the system so the actual design is recorded in the database.”

“It increases productivity, but it also reduces the surprises. These tools give you the ability to see the problem before it becomes the problem,” said Keenan. Before using the mobile app to record blast data, he added, “it was paper reports or word of mouth. And it was a very imperfect system, I assure you.”

Bring your plan to work with you

Eliminating paper from the field makes life simpler for both planners and supervisors. Fewzion is a work management system from Commit Works, which enables short interval control (SIC) on mobile devices in the field. All work on site can be pulled in from source planning systems such as Xact, Surpac, Deswik, SAP, spreadsheets etc., as well as inspections, equipment servicing, training, site development work and the actual production work. It is then planned and can be tracked in short chunks to ensure people can react to problems early enough to reliably hit their targets.

“It contains all the work and targets that planners from each department have agreed to, alongside detailed tasks that crews and supervisors think need to be done for the whole site,” said Commit Works CEO Paul Moynagh. “Then the team can start making some trade-offs to land on a plan that is achievable for each shift.” By making everything visible to the whole team, detailed planning can take place between silos, allowing everybody to understand and commit to a well-coordinated, holistic plan for the operation.

Moynagh notes that at many sites, supervisors still drive around with stacks of paper detailing the week’s work in production targets, Gantt charts, mud maps and even photos of the whiteboard from the production meeting. “If you see these massive piles of paper, you understand why it’s very difficult to find the information supervisors need or get good decision-making out of that kind of data,” said Moynagh. The mobile portion of Fewzion provides an organized, offline-capable digital view of everything in the system. “A phone or tablet is far more convenient to carry around. And if they’re out in the field and see something that needs to be done, they can create a task and suggest a time for it,” he added. That task will be synchronized across the whole Fewzion system once the device is online. “Add to our new mapping system (visual ops) and all work can be seen on a map next to the machines and people that will be doing it and any of the hazards that they might encounter.”

Users of Fewzion have seen 30 to 50 per cent increases in production after implementation, according to Moynagh. “A lot of the things that used to get in the way, a lot of the annoying waste, now gets planned out before it happens,” he said. “All the things that were causing them trouble, which are very hard to pinpoint, just start to disappear with a well-thought-out frontline plan that everyone can see and agree on.”

More than mere technology

In true Silicon Valley style, several of the app makers pride themselves as disruptors with a higher purpose. “Most tier ones would never pay $1,000 for something they could buy for $20,000,” said MST’s Dessureault, only half-jokingly. “Our price point is so low, we can open up the quarry market, the small-to-medium size mines.”

“The big thing for us is the democratization of technology,” agreed Doyle of Takor Group. “We’re reducing or removing possible barriers to entry for people to benefit from technology. Being able to run the app on a cheap Android device and basically have an enterprise-level tool at a bargain basement price, that’s what we want.”

Girl Rising is a global campaign for girls’ education and empowerment, which uses storytelling to create change.

The single best way to end global poverty is to educate girls. Yet, millions of girls are missing from classrooms, facing barriers that boys don’t, including:

early marriage

sex trafficking

domestic slavery

gender-based violence.

Girl Rising began in 2013 when a team of former journalists released the film Girl Rising, which showcases girls from around the world affected by the power of education – or lack thereof.

Today, through mass media campaigns and community-led partnerships, Girl Rising uses storytelling to inspire girls to create a different future and to create transformational change in the way girls are valued.

Commit Works is delighted to support the Girl Rising Cocktail Charity Event, which includes:

All funds raised at the cocktail event go directly towards an upcoming Girl Rising campaign in Guatemala, which will work with non-government organisations to deliver programs and create new films educating third-world communities to empower girls in refugee situations.

The power of one plan

We all know that knowledge is power. So why keep teams in the dark when it comes to complex operations?

Everyone’s got a job to do

When there are lots of people working on different aspects of a project, although they may be working independently or in different locations, the work of one team affects the work of others.

Poor planning and coordination can lead to costly inefficiencies, mistakes and delays. Conversely, great planning and coordination optimises communication, builds trust and commitment, and has the power to revolutionise productivity.

So, get everyone on the same page

An excellent frontline planning system is one that:

provides a single, integrated view of what’s planned for everyone on site – daily and weekly

shows targets that can be adjusted based on how a project is progressing

details the commitments made by each team, and shows when those commitments are delivered on

is visible to everyone working on a project, in a format that’s easy to use and understand

is cloud-based, accessible on mobile and enables real-time updates.

Our Fewzion software does all of this. It replaces spreadsheets and cumbersome IT systems with a single plan. It integrates all your core IT systems, connecting scheduling, planning, maintenance, HR, ERP and site safety. Plans and progress can be seen by everyone – teams, supervisors and managers – in real time. Its “shadow tasks” feature ensures that cross-functional tasks are visible to all teams, so everyone understands the plan and their role in delivering it.

Our clients regularly increase production by over 30% within two months of implementing Fewzion. They attribute their success to better organisation and teamwork.

When your teams are truly committed to delivering scheduled work and can see their results and progress, you boost productivity and strengthen your business. Give your people the gift of the big picture; when everyone sees clearly, they work better together.

/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/minerwithphone.jpg9961500camilo.vargas/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CommitWorks_Logo_May17_FINAL_RGB.svgcamilo.vargas2018-05-30 23:31:182018-09-04 04:17:48All your planning in one place, for everyone

Paul Moynagh, our Commit Works CEO, is one of hundreds of leaders across Australia who will spend a night sleeping rough to raise money for homeless Australians this winter.

Vinnies CEO Sleepout

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is a one-night event over one of the longest and coldest nights of the year. The event, held in major cities across the country on 21 June, raises money for people experiencing homelessness. Sleepout participants, including CEOs, business owners, and government and community leaders, commit to raising thousands of dollars to help Vinnies provide food, accommodation and essential services to those who need them.

Last year’s CEO Sleepout brought in an amazing $5.6 million – this year they hope to raise over $6 million.

Who needs help?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 100,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness. Of these:

60% are under 35

44% are women

13% are under 12 years old.

Where will Paul be sleeping?

On 21 June, Paul will spend the night sleeping without shelter at Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm from 6pm to 6am.

“Most of us lead very comfortable lives, and it’s within our means to help others in our community who are having a difficult time,” says Paul. “This initiative by Vinnies really challenges us to empathise with Australians who are experiencing homelessness. It’s probably going to be a long, uncomfortable night for me but it’s nothing compared to what some people go through. I’m happy to be representing Commit Works and raising this much-needed money.”

How is the money spent?

/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sleepout.jpg480961camilo.vargas/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CommitWorks_Logo_May17_FINAL_RGB.svgcamilo.vargas2018-05-22 06:31:262018-05-23 05:12:07Commit Works CEO out in the cold for charity

Eske Pillen is VP Customer Results at Commit Works. An experienced client relationship manager, she is responsible for ensuring clients achieve their desired and expected results. Being an expert in Business Operations, she advises clients on operational performance & quality assurance and has managed several front to end operations projects.

Your current role?

VP of Customer Results – making sure our customers get the most out of our products.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid, I first wanted to become a patissier (just like my granddad), then moved to architect and later on decided to become a criminal lawyer. Although I can’t even bake a cake nowadays, I did finish my Masters in criminal law back in Holland. It’s because of the travelling I let that go and ended up in the operational/CRM space.

I love working with clients and the fact that I still get to use my legal skills now and again – makes it a good combination!

What do you see as the most important innovation of your lifetime?

Video conferencing! Without it, I couldn’t work from Western Australia and serve our clients and be part of the team in Brisbane! I also wouldn’t be able to see my family on a regular basis.

Who or what inspires you?

My other half! He moved from Holland to Australia on his own about four years ago with pretty much nothing. He found a job, worked his way up, and now runs large crushing and screening projects for all sorts of clients across Australia. I’ve never seen someone work so hard and be so resilient.

Why do you love working at Commit Works?

The passion of the team, the quality of the products and the awesome opportunities it creates.

Quote you work by?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Perhaps a little clichéd, but it’s oh so true!